by A. L Long
~****~
When I arrived at the gallery, the men were busy working away. I found the foreman for the construction crew and stepped up to him. I needed to find out when he expected everything to be completed so that I could have my opening. He assured me that everything would be ready by the end of the week. This was perfect; it would give me enough time to get the announcements out and get everything ready. My office was pretty much already finished. All I needed to do was to purchase some furniture and a new computer.
Since everything seemed to be under control, I decided to head over to the IKEA store to see what I could find to furnish my new office. The forty-five minute ride was well worth it. I found everything I needed and set up a delivery time for Friday. While I waited for the store associate to complete my order; I looked on-line for computer equipment. Within minutes I found what I needed and ordered it with a rush delivery to the gallery. Thinking about the technical stuff, it wouldn't hurt to find an IT guy to take care of hooking up my computers and whatever he or she thought would be necessary for the business. It was getting late, so this task would need to wait until tomorrow.
By the time I got home, my feet ached and I was ready to just veg out on my couch and watch a good movie. I didn't feel much like cooking either, so I called for Chinese food from one of my favorite places. I kept thinking about how much I hated spending time alone. It seemed as if I was doing that a lot lately. It was then that I decided to see if Brie was home. Since we were unable to meet up a few days ago, maybe she wanted to do a movie and Chinese food with me. I didn’t have her number, so I decided to walk across the hall to see if she was home.
Knocking on her door several times, I finally gave up and headed back to my condo. I left her a note letting her know to come over when she got home if it wasn't too late. I wasn't sure what her schedule was at the coffee shop, but I would assume she wouldn't be working too much later since it was already approaching eight o’clock. I didn't think people would be drinking coffee at this hour.
I must have been a lot more tired than I thought because when I woke up, there was another movie on and my food, which I barely touched, was cold. Stumbling off the couch, I decided that my bed would be a lot more comfortable than the couch. Fifteen minutes later I was snuggled beneath my covers ready for sleep to take over. It wasn't long after my head hit the pillow and I was out.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lilly
The sun was shining brightly through my bedroom blinds, letting me know that morning had hit. I had a lot of things that I needed to take care of today. In a couple of days the furniture would be delivered to the gallery and I didn't have much time left to get things ready for the opening. The contractor assured me that things would be ready by the end of the week, giving me only a couple of days to get the word out. More than anything, I wanted everything ready by Saturday.
My morning was spent at the gallery working with the IT guy from Tetralogy that Dylan offered to have assist me. After he set everything up, I was finally up and running. Brie was suppose to stop by after her shift so I could show her how to work the system and get her up to speed on what I wanted her to do.
I had been so busy with Brie that I lost track of time. Pierre was going to meet me at 7:00 p.m. for our dinner date and I wasn't even close to being finished at the gallery. I didn't have a way to get in touch with him, seeing as how I neglected to get his number. There was no way I could tell him that I would need to cancel. The only thing I could do was head to my condo and hope that I would have enough time to shower and be ready for him by seven o’clock.
By the time I got to my condo it was 6:30 p.m. I only had thirty minutes to shower and dress before he showed up. Striping my clothes off one piece at a time, I headed to the bathroom. I thought this was the best way to save time. Even though there was now a trail of clothing lining the floor leading to the bathroom, I was fully naked and ready for a quick shower.
~****~
Right on time, Pierre was waiting for me as I exited the elevator. He looked very casual in a black pair of jeans, a gray t-shirt and a black jacket. His hair was a little bit tossed, like he may have just stepped out of the shower himself. It was still a really good look on him. Better than good. As I walked up to him, I could feel his eyes burning into me. I wasn't sure if he was looking at me because I may have been a little overdressed or because he was just as attracted to me as I was to him.
Lifting to my tiptoes, I placed my hands on his shoulders and placed a warm kiss on his cheek. "Hey," I said, lowering my heels to the ground.
"You look great," he complimented, taking my hands in his. "Are you ready?"
Nodding, I said, "Yes."
When we stepped outside, a silver Tesla was parked at the curb. When he opened the passenger side for me, I knew it was his. I wasn't sure what he did for a living, but he must have had a pretty good job in order to afford such an expensive car. Buckling in, I looked his way and asked, "So where are we going for dinner?"
"I thought we would go to the NoMad Hotel. They have one of the best restaurants in the city, if that's okay with you," he said.
"That would be wonderful," I replied, moving my focus to the street as he pulled from the curb.
A short time later we were in front of the hotel. There was a valet waiting to park the car as we stopped. I had never been to this hotel, but I heard some very good things about it. Pierre rounded the car as the valet assisted me out. Once outside the car, Pierre took my hand and guided me inside. Even though it was built in the early 1900’s, the English-style decor was very attractive.
Walking to the hotel's restaurant, there was an attractive hostess waiting to seat us. As we followed her, I could feel the eyes of the other patrons upon us. Mostly the women were staring at us. It made me wonder if it was because of envy or jealousy. Pierre being a very handsome man, my guess was jealousy. The hostess stopped in front of a table for two in the back. Even though it was still a part of the restaurant, it was hidden away from the rest of the tables, making it very private and cozy. I wondered if Pierre had to pay extra to get this table.
Looking at the menu, it didn't surprise me that it was one of the top rated restaurants in New York. Everything on the menu sounded delicious. Pierre must have seen my indecisiveness, because he gently took hold of my hand and squeezed it gently, saying, "How about I order for you?"
"That would be great. I'm not sure what to order," I replied.
The waiter came and took our orders. I knew no matter what Pierre ordered for me, it would be amazing. Taking a sip of my wine, he asked, "So what brought you to New York?"
Placing my glass on the linen-covered table, I responded with a smile, "I actually just got back from Paris. I'm opening a new art gallery."
"An art gallery, how wonderful. Maybe I could stop by and see it," he said.
"That would be great. I'm hoping to have an opening next Saturday. I would love for you to come."
As the night went on, I found out some amazing things about him. I learned that we had more in common than I initially thought. I also found out that he was originally from Paris and that he was interested in opening a design company in New York. By the time we finished dinner, I knew more about him than I knew about Peter. There was something about him that seemed too good to be true. No one could be that perfect and have the same interests as me.
It was getting late and I needed to get home. I had a full day tomorrow dealing with the contractors and the delivery of the new furniture. I also still had a few things to iron out with the computer system. When we pulled up to my building, I was ready to say goodbye, but Pierre insisted on walking me to my door. Standing in front of him, the awkwardness began to filter in.
"Thank you for a wonderful dinner. I really enjoyed myself." Before I could finish thanking him, his lips were on mine. His tender touch had my body tingling all the way to my core. My lips parted, allowing him access to my warmth. As our tongues danced together, I could feel the hardness o
f his erection push against me as he pulled me closer to him. "Mon chéri, qu'est-ce que tu fais pour moo?"
"Idem," I said. I wasn't sure what he was doing to me either, but I wanted more.
Breaking the kiss, he looked down on me. When I finally opened my eyes, I could see his brilliant smile as he brushed his thumb across my lips. "I better go before I can't stop. When can I see you again?"
Pulling a pen from my small purse, I took hold of his hand, flipped it over so that his palm was face up, and wrote my number down. Without another word, I turned and unlocked my door and went inside. Leaning against it, I placed my finger on my lips and smiled to myself.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lilly
Two more days and the opening of Séduire Art Gallery would happen. I had worked my ass off trying to get everything ready. The furniture arrived and it looked perfect in the gallery. There were a couple of problems with the lighting, but thankfully the contractor was able to fix it in no time. The caterers had been called, and they would be here in time to set up for the opening taking place at 5:00 p.m. Now the only thing to worry about was how many people would be actually showing up.
Sitting in my office, I heard the ringing of the door chime. Pushing my chair from my desk, I went to see who had entered. Standing just outside my door, my stomach began to twist as Peter's gorgeous body appeared. I took in a deep breath. I didn't know what he was doing here. I hadn’t seen him in a week. I thought for sure he was away taking care of whatever shit he needed to. Brushing my hands down my skirt to straighten out the wrinkles, I headed to the showroom area of the gallery. Peter was standing in front of one of my favorite black and white pictures that had been taken by a well-known photographer. Even though I typically didn’t like this form of art, he was an exception to the rule. I thought it would be nice to dedicate one section of the gallery to his photos.
Walking up behind Peter, I said softly, "Amazing, isn't it?"
Turning towards me, Peter placed his hand on my cheek and said, "It certainly is."
"What are you doing here, Peter?" I asked, stepping back a couple of feet.
"I needed to talk to you," he stated with a serious look on his face.
"Okay. So talk."
"Is there somewhere we can go?" he asked.
"There’s no one else here Peter. Just say what you have to say," I said, looking around the room.
"There's something you need to know about that guy from the gym. He isn't who you think he is, Lilly."
"If you are talking about Pierre, I know everything I need to know about him, which is more than I can say about you." Even though it was the truth, I regretted saying the words when there was a change of expression on Peter's face.
"Well, that may be, but at least I don't have a criminal record, Lilly. Did you know he has a record for raping a girl?" Peter began moving closer, with a sudden change in his demeanor.
"What are you talking about, Peter, and why are you looking into Pierre, anyway?"
"There was something about him that didn't sit well with me, so I checked into him," he admitted. "He's dangerous Lilly."
"I can't listen to this anymore." I didn't know what to think. I wasn't even sure if I could believe what he was saying. For all I knew, he didn't want any man near me as long as there was a chance for us to be together. Backing away from him, I turned to head back to my office. My progress was abruptly stopped when his hand took hold of my arm. Stopped in my tracks, I turned to face him. "We’re done talking, Peter."
"Lilly, no matter what you think, I will always care about you. I'm asking that you please listen to me, no matter how you feel about me." Peter's eyes showed his concern with sincerity.
It didn't matter what I felt for Peter, it was written all over my face the minute he looked at me with those eyes. When his grip on my arm softened and he took me into his arms, nothing could change the way I felt about him. It didn't matter that his need to protect me was over the top or that he had secrets he was keeping from me. All that mattered was the way he made me feel at that very moment. Studying him closely, his head lowered to mine and his lips were suddenly on mine. The tingle began the minute he parted my lips and began twisting his tongue with mine. I was so absorbed in the here and now that I had no control over myself. My hands wrapped around his neck as I pulled him even closer yet. My body floated upward, feeling his hands lower and swoop me into his arms. He must have known where to take me because before I knew it, I was on the leather couch in my office with Peter hovering over me.
All I could think about was having him. Taking the hem of his t-shirt, I lifted the soft material up over his head, exposing his masculine chest. Every line of his hard body was on display. Kissing my way down his perfection, I undid the buckle on his belt and ripped it from his jeans. Peter grabbed his belt from me and coiled it around my wrists. Just as I was about to protest, he whispered. "I would never hurt you, Lilly."
Letting him continue, I was suddenly bound to the chrome armrest on the leather couch. Unable to move my hands, Peter began slowly unbuttoning my silk blouse while kissing his way down my sensitized body. Only his touch could make me feel this way. "Peter," I moaned, feeling he knew exactly what I wanted.
"Just feel, baby," he whispered.
My breasts were completely exposed to him as he unfastened the clasp of my bra. In a nanosecond his mouth was on my nipple, kissing and sucking it into a hard peak. He knew exactly what drove me crazy with desire for him. Reaching under my skirt, his hand began moving to my core. I could feel the wetness building as his hands skimmed closer and closer to my slick folds. As he inserted one and then another finger, I was lost. The rush of pleasure hit at once. My body was no longer my own. It was his.
Pulling his jeans down the rest of the way, Peter took special care as he entered my tight channel. Pumping his cock in and out of me, I could feel the onset of another orgasm as he changed his position so that he was now hitting my g-spot. Thrusting further inside me, my heart began to beat faster while my breathing became more erratic. I no longer had the strength to hold back. Electricity filled my body as my need to release finally won. It wasn't until I was coming down from the explosion that I felt the spasm of Peter inside me. He too had met his delivery.
"Peter, we have to stop doing this," I panted, not knowing why I would want to stop something that felt so good.
"I can't, Lilly. I have to be with you," he said.
"Then tell me what is going on with you." If he would just tell me the truth, we could be together. If he would just open up to me, then we could deal with it and move forward.
"I can't. Not yet." Peter said, pulling his semi-hard cock from inside me.
The minute he pulled away, I knew whatever he was keeping from me was tearing him apart. I lifted my body from the couch and began straightening out my rumpled clothing. Looking up at the door, Peter was standing outside facing me. Tucking my blouse in my skirt, I asked, "Where are you going?"
"There's something I need to do. Cop is parked out front and Josh is out back. I'll be back in a few hours to take you home."
~****~
I wasn't sure what was going on with Peter. The last couple of days had been weird, to say the least. The last time I saw him was when he drove me home two days ago. His only communication with me was by cell and text. I kept thinking about what he said about Pierre. If it was true and Pierre did rape a girl, why hadn’t he made a move towards me? The only contact we had, was kissing. It just didn't make sense.
Tonight at the opening, somehow I needed to find out if what Peter said was true. I needed to confront Pierre about it, but I needed to be careful how I asked him. The last thing I wanted was to upset him.
Focusing on something else, I walked to the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee. Taking my coffee with me, I placed it on the bathroom counter as I filled the tub full of water. I needed to get a move on if I wanted to get to the gallery to finalize the remaining details of the opening.
Bri
e had already sorted out the details with the caterers. We both had worked hard to get all of the displays ready for the opening. My only hope was that the opening would bring in some avid collectors and some of the pieces could be sold.
It was approaching late morning and I needed to head out to the gallery. In order to save time, I thought it would be easier to get ready at the gallery instead of at the condo. Placing my dress in a garment bag, I grabbed it along with my needed essentials and headed to the parking garage. Just like my father promised, a shiny new Lexus was delivered yesterday. He assured me he got a good deal on it. When I offered to pay him for the car, he insisted that what I did for him in Paris with that gallery was payment enough.
Tossing my things in the back seat, I pulled out onto 5th Avenue and headed to the gallery. It was so nice being able to come and go as I pleased without having to hail a cab. Looking out my rear view mirror, I could see that Peter was following me in his Camaro. The calls I was getting had stopped, at least I hadn't received any since my dinner with Pierre.